*enters with Snape, eating éclairs* he likes chocolate, I like chocolate… you get the picture. We are back to offer you a new instalment before Monday comes to whisk me away to job and business again. Soooo…
Let's see what happens this time, shall we?
Chapter 12 *hit play*
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Voldemort perused his group of Death Eaters once again. It was almost the bulk of them, all that he had left, all that he had aquired. He was satisfied. The death of that traitor, Severus Snape, and the fact that all the Inquisitors Bagman had stationed in Hogwarts were keeping the Order from making any steps made him feel powerful again, in the lead of the game. He knew that Dumbledore would have trouble finding such a loyal and good Potions maker- much less Master- as Snape had been, whereas he had the next best Master, and she had proven her loyalty more graphically than Snape ever had. That was a bonus in the case. Also, Harry Potter had lost yet another protector- a vital one, as Zabini and Parkinson had informed him. If I knew that it was the blasted greaseball that managed to turn the blind boy into a dueller, I would have killed him half a year earlier, Voldemort ruminated. Still, he was dead now, so that was that.
"My loyal Death Eatersss…" he said as every black clad figure bowed at the sound of his voice, "I have called you today, to celebrate. I have called you today, to bow to the perseverance that true loyalty gives. I have called you to accept back in our folds Lucius Malfoy- who escaped from Azkaban."
Blaise hailed the tall man that came to stand, head bowed, in front of the Dark Lord, just as every one of her peers did. Her heart started beating fast. Oh no… Draco… her mind repeated as she watched Lucius. Her breath was hot underneath her mask. He is doomed. What can I do?
Lucius was much thinner than before Hogwarts Attack, and it showed in his face. His cheekbones were protruding more, his eyes were more hollow, making them seem larger and more intense- they shone with hatred and triumph. After the round of applause and all the hailing that took place, Voldemort made everyone be quiet again.
"Approach, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson," he ordered. The two girls approached, head bowed. Pansy was shaking with adrenaline. "Remove your masks," came the usual order, and Blaise removed hers without lifting her head.
"How can we serve you, my lord?" she asked quietly, shielding her emotions and her reeling mind as Professor Snape had taught her. Instead of an answer, there came the usual curse that Voldemort enjoyed. Pansy and Blaise screamed. Behind them, in the circle, Crabbe and Goyle trembled in fear that they would follow their classmates' fate. Then, the curse was let up. Blaise managed to get back on all fours, Pansy still hadn't managed not to stop whimpering after the curse was let up.
"I punished you, because you were deceived, and none of my Death Eaters should be deceived by their enemies."
Blaise knew what he was talking about, but she kept quiet.
"How were we deceived, my Lord?" Pansy asked in a teary voice. Voldemort didn't answer, but seemed to be nodding to someone else.
"My son deceived you," Lucius' voice was as silky as before, but now added was the element of rage, of indignancy that was barely contained. "Draco Malfoy is no longer considered to be my son. He betrayed me and our Lord. He must pay for his insolence!"
"Lucius… I understand your disappointment… but only I can tell what should be done with anyone. I was hoping you remembered that," Voldemort said, and cursed Lucius to the other side of the room- however, he didn't cast Crucio on the fugitive: a big favour, coming from the Dark Lord. Lucius got up and bowed, apologising.
Voldemort turned to Blaise and Pansy.
"You both are close to young Malfoy, aren't you?"
"Yes, my Lord," the girls said in unison.
"Bring young Draco to me," Voldemort ordered.
"If he should resist, my Lord?" Blaise asked tentatively.
"I do not care if he is brought to me whole or not, Blaise Zabini, as long as he is alive enough to look his father… and his master in the eyes," Voldemort said and smiled stonily.
***
Harry tapped his way towards breakfast along with a group of students, that were accompanied by Minerva McGonagall. Sombre was walking nearby, tail high, head straight in irritation.
"Ginny?" Harry called, trying to discern footsteps. He heard shuffling and rearranging going on around him, and mcGonagall's irritated voice telling students to walk on, please.
"I'm here, Harry. What do you want?" he heard Ginny's voice right next to him. He smiled.
"Sombre wants to be established as a certain student's familiar… I was wondering if you could make a scene so that everyone sees it is his."
"You bet, Harry," Ginny said and picked up the black Burmese gleefully- it was not many times in one's lifetime that you got to pick up Severus Snape, in cat form or not.
Draco was trying to find Blaise in the crowd of Slytherins, as they were finding seats to sit down and eat their breakfast, when he heard a shriek that was typically Weasley-ish, and a high pitched voice calling at him.
"DRACO MALFOY!"
He turned around and saw Ginny, being as red in the face as she was in the hair, coming at him, holding a disgruntled Sombre in her two hands, so that most of the cat's body was dangling as far away from the girl as possible. Oh my. Is the Professor having fun or what? He put on a look of contempt and sneered.
"If it isn't one of the weasels. What's up little girl?"
"Do you know who this is!?" Ginny said angrily, tending the cat to him. Draco looked at the cat's coal black eyes that were staring at him in pure anger.
"Yes, so?"
"Aha, so you admit it! You admit you have trained your familiar to get into Gryffindor Tower and mess things up!"
"What is it, did Sombre hide your knickers somewhere?" Draco said, playing along. Sombre growled low and his tail swished in irritation. Ginny shoved Sombre in his hands and about turned.
"If I ever catch your familiar in MY dorm, I will skin it alive!" she shriek at the top of her lungs, walking back from laughing Slytherins and smirking classmates.
"Well Sombre, seems your next stop will be Potter's suitcase then," he said outloud and Slytherins laughed once more, as the cat hissed and pfffted until Draco let him on the table near his plate. The Slytherins all commented him on the beauty of the black cat. Sombre was officially his.
***
Blaise was pacing back and forth in the Slytherin common room, not knowing what to do. She had put Pansy under a sleeping charm, so that she would not wake up and alarm anyone. She didn't worry about Crabbe and Goyle: they had received no orders, and therefore the food would distract them enough for Draco's safety during breakfast. What am I to do? I won't let him be killed in front of Voldemort! But what can I do? She had gone to Dumbledore the moment they were back from the meeting- about 4 am. The wizard had heard her carefully, then sent her off to bed with the orders to do just that. She wasn't sure if even the man had taken any measures or not.
She was so agitated that she didn't see the black cat entering. She looked up only when she heard the 'pop' and the Potions Master was standing before her.
"You will carry out your order today," he told her quickly.
"I am not going to give Draco to Voldemort!"
"Don't scream his name. I have taught you better," Snape snapped at her and she recoiled, and swallowed.
"It is to mr. Malfoy's interest that you carry out the Dark Lord's order rather than Parkinson," Snape said evenly and she looked up again.
"What must I do?" she said in determination.
***
Sirius Black read the apparating parchment. He was in a foul mood: he had found that there was no way to detach his mother's portrait from the wall. The woman was screaming like a banshee every time she laid eyes on him. He had resorted in sticking a canvas of James and Lily over her, with sticking charms. She still screamed in indignation, but it as muffled, and James liked nothing more than keeping the portrait underneath his busy enough to leave Sirius alone.
"What!? Is Dumbledore—hell, he'll have Snape staying over before the year is through at this rate!" he said to himself after he finished reading it. Nevertheless, he sent a reply- quick and laconic:
Fine, send him over.
***
That same night, a large meeting was held in the room of requirement, instead of a training session. Severus Snape and Remus Lupin were in the room as well as Harry, Draco, Fred, George, Neville, Ron, Hermione and Ginny.
"Miss Zabini has to inform you of something important. We delayed it for a day, but Miss Parkinson will wake early tomorrow," Remus said seriously.
"Am I on Voldemort's death roll?" Draco said bitterly.
"He wants me and Pansy to bring you to him," Blaise said and looked downwards. Harry shivered, remembering what he had seen when Karkaroff was captured.
"Obviously we can't do something like that without jeopardizing Mr. Malfoy's health," Snape said snidely.
"Can he stage his death, like you did?" Harry asked.
"Even your friends will tell you, mr. Potter, that you can't pull off a trick more than once and expect it to succeed more than once," Snape said cuttingly.
"I'm afraid he's right, Harry," George said with a dejected little sigh.
"We have to figure out new ways to do stuff with mum every time," Fred added, "'cause it's like she keeps a log of our exploits."
"I can't blame her," Remus said with a little smile.
"So how can we help Draco?" Hermione asked.
"We will allow the girls to start taking him to Voldemort."
"But if they fail, he will punish them!" Draco protested. Blaise shrugged.
"So what if he does? He can't afford to kill off anyone. Our number is small as it is."
"I won't have you tortured on my account!" Draco said, getting flushed.
"And I won't have you killed, either," Blaise said simply.
"Don't go all Potter-ish with me, Zabini!" Draco said through clenched teeth.
"You started it," Blaise said with a little smile.
"Hey, what's all the Potter thing? Are you implying I am –"
"Don't go there, Harry," said Remus with a smile. Snape sneered, then clapped his hands twice to make everyone silent, sighted or not.
"Don't presume to worry about a student more than her teachers, Malfoy," he said in reprimand, "rest assured that she will be fine. Now, make sure that you make yourself available tomorrow night in the Slytherin common room. I will be there to supervise, make sure nothing goes wrong."
"What about us, professor?" Harry asked.
"You will start taking care of the Inquisitors. Be assured the worst that will happen to you will be detention with the Headmaster," Remus said and all the Study Group laughed.
***
Two hours before breakfast, the Inquisitors spilled across all of Hogwarts grounds. At pairs, they walked brusquely, to take their positions. A wand seemed to float in air, a hex was muttered.
"Dessinato Florae!"
Multicoloured flowers started writing themselves on the Inquisitor's robes. As soon as they noticed, they became agitated and started casting detection spells all around, but whoever had cast the hex was long gone.
"The damn flowers won't come off!" one Inquisitor said.
"Glamourie?"
"It glances off!"
"Well screw it, we have to go be in position!" the Inquisitor said angrily and walked on quickly.
Fred and George bit their lips to keep from laughing, both concealed under chameleon charms (they looked as part of the walls of the aisle). They nodded to each other and pointed their wands a few meters further down than where the Inquisitors currently were.
The Inquisitors suddenly found themselves in a moat, deep and smelly, complete with mosquitoes and funny little creatures eager to crawl up their robes. The Weasley twins made themselves visible and giggled as they ran away from the Inquisitors that were struggling to get out of the murky waters.
***
"Halt! State your business!" an Inquisitor said to Harry and Neville. The boys both smiled.
"We have no business," Harry said, not even bothering to turn his head towards the sound of the Inquisitor's voice.
"We are here for trouble only," Neville said and pointing his wand he muttered a spell. It didn't hit the Inquisitor; it went squarely on the gargoyle behind the inquisitor.
"You little ruffian! You are lucky you missed, because now I am only going toaaaaaah!" the Inquisitor growled then screamed as the gargoyle came to life suddenly and grabbed the Inquisitor, keeping him pinned there. Harry chuckled.
"Neville, you gotta describe his expression to me."
"Well," said Neville, laughingly as they walked away from the struggling man, "his eyes bulged and he paled…"
The Inquisitor was left captive of the stone gargoyle.
"Don't leave me!" he called after the boys that didn't even turn a head. He was left there for every student to see.
***
Hermione grinned in satisfaction along with Ron, as Harry walked up to them, laughing out loud with Neville.
"They are all in the bag, it's your turn. You got to cover a moat, a gargoyle, three hanging Inquisitors at the greenhouses, 5 more wedged between the wall stones in the dungeon aisles and a whole group of them ensnared in a bubble – Ginny has them hovering right outside the Headmaster's office."
"Let's go, Ron!" Hermione said with the same eagerness that she had for studying. Ron ran outside with her. As they both moved their wands in unison, passing in front of every ensnared Inquisitor that Harry had told them of, Ron grinned in glee:
"Oh, this will be a breakfast to remember!"
***
Dumbledore petted Fawkes with the same twinkle of the older days.
"Today we resume attack in the chess game, my friend," he said lovingly to the phoenix. Fawkes tweetered happily and enjoyed the Headmaster's touch. Albus smiled and gave him one of his favourite muffins, then put on his hat (a sky blue one with silver stars), and went out.
He was greeted with 6 Inquisitors in a hovering bubble charm. He smiled at them cheerfully.
"Goodmorning, gentlemen," he said happily and took in every man's face. The Study Group had done a really good job.
For every Inquisitor's glamourie spell over his face had been torn off. Dumbledore saw a few faces that should not even be free. The time to see Minister Bagman has come.
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And that's that! It is a bit shorter, but only by a paragraph. There was no other place to end the chapter without ruining the next one! Things are escalating fast, as you can see! Hope you liked. *Snape gets amaretto with orange twist*
As for my reviewers: I will answer everyone next time, because I am a little tired to do so today.